Vehicle-signal.



H. ROHRDANTZ.

VEHICLE SIGNAL.

APPLICATION man Aue.10. I9I6.

1 273,672. Patented Jul 23, .1918.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

INVENTOR.

' ATTORNEY.

H. ROHRDANTZ.

VEHICLE SIGNAL.

APPLICATION FILED Aus.10. 1916.

1 ,273,672. Patented July 23, 1918.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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WITNESS UNITED STATES PATENT. orrron.

HENRY normnmrz, or wnsr cannon, new .rnnsny, assre non 'ro UNIT SIGNALdo, or PLAINFIELD, NEW JERSEY, a CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

vnmcnn-sreuan Specification of Letters latent.

Patente July 23, 1918.

Application filed August 10,1818. lerial No. 114,121.

To all whom it may concern: I

Be it known that I, HENRY RoHRoANrz, a

citizen of the United States, and a residentof West Orange, in thecounty of Essex and State of New Jersey, have invented certain newanduseful Improvements in Vehicle-Signals, of which the following is aspecification. I

This invention relates more particularly to that class of vehiclesignals to be used on automobiles for indicatingthe intentions .-of thedriver as to whether he 'goin to turn, stop or the like, and the ob ects0 the invention are to provide such a signal which will clearly indicatethe drivers intention for whatever operation he, wishes to perform; toreadily manipulate the signal so as'to require minimum attention andexertion by the driver; to provide a signal device visible at both thefront and rear of the vehicle; to provide a construction adapted to bereadily attached to a vehicle; to protect the parts from dust and rain;to secure simplicity of construction and operation, and to obtain otheradvantages and results as 'may be brought outin the followingdescription.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, in which like numerals ofreference indicate the sameparts throughout the several views,.

' I Figure 1 is a perspective view of my improved vehicle signalattached. to the wind:

shield of an automobile;

Fig. '2 is an elevation of thes'ignal showing the signal arm swungcrosswise; Fig. 3 is a vertical longitudinal sectio through the samewiththe signal arm upright;

swung crdsswise; p

Fig. 5 1s a transverse cross-sectlon on hne 5, 5, Fig. 3, and

. Fig. 6 is a transverse cross-sectionon line Y 6', 6, Fig. 3.

In the specific embodiment of the inven tion illustrated in saiddrawings, the reference numeral 1 indicates aside post of a windshield 2attached toan automobile 3,

said post 1 being shown for illustrative pursleeve 13 Fig. 4 is asimilar .view with thearm end the arm 7 is bent around to form a loop,

as at 9, in a horizontal plane with the returned end secured to theshank portion of the arm by a screw 10v (see Fig. 5). A- rotatable body\member is carried in said loop, and preferably provides-a head 11 abovesa1d loop and -a reduced neck 12'depending through said loop and belowthe same with a secured as by a screw 14 to the By this means, it willbe seen that the body lmeiliber is mounted so as to be rotated but ement. Preferably the loop is arranged to be clamped by the screw 10 moreor less about the neck 12 so as to obtain frictional contacttherebetween and hold the body member at whatever position it is turnedto. As shown, the body member is preferably cylindrical and the sleeveextends below the lower end of the neck a considerable distance forpurposes which will-hereinafter appear. The bod member is furthermorecentrally and longitudinally recessed to "slidably, receive a knucklemember 15 which is preferably a rod formed in two sections hinged attheir meeting ends, as at 16. The upper section forms a signal arm, andwhen the lower section is slid forward in the body member far enough toproject the joint 16,

said signal arm can tilt or tip over to indicate direction, while whenthe lower section is drawn downward the signal arm is returned intoalinement with the lower section and the joint then retracted into thebody member to hold the sections in such alinement. A collar 17 abovethe head 11.

is fixed to the upper section of the rod 15 by means of which the rod islimited in downward movement through the body member. At a suflicientdistance below the bottom end of the neck to permit the necessary upwardmovement of the rod, the lower section of said rod is reduced, as at 18,and receives a cylindrical insulating block 19 adapted to slidably enterthe sleeve. Thelower end of the insulating block is externally reduced,as at 20, and receives a ring 21 therearound which is adapted to engagethe lower end of the sleeve and-form an electrical contact therewithwhen the rod and its attached parts are raised to. the upper end oftheir movement. Below the ring against longitudinal or sliding moveandthe end of the block 19 is an insulat- I longitudinal slot into which apin 26 protrudes from the lower. section of-the rod 15 by means of whichthe rod and body member are caused to be rotated togethe i'\ and at thesame tune permltted to be Slld lon 'tudinally one within the other.

1?: order to exclude as much dust and dirt, rain and so forth aspossible, a cylindrical shell 27 is provided to surround. thering 21 andinsulating block 19, said shell being at tached to the insulating washer22 and.

" spaced thereby away from the ring 21. The

upper end of the shell surrounds the sleeve '13 in sliding engagementtherewith. Furthermore, a protecting cap 28 is provided upon the uppersection of the rod 15 to overlie the upper end of the head 11, said capbeing shown as spherical and flexible and attached to the rod by means.of a. collar 29 clamping'a portion of the cap 28 between.

said collar29 and the collar 17. By the construction so far'described,it will. be understood that with the pafis 1n normal position as showninFig. 3, the rod 15 is lnits lower position at which time the hingejoint of the rod or knuckle member is' within the bodymember andnecessitates that both sections of the rod be in substantial alinementvertically. However, as the knob and rodwith their attached parts are.raised, the hinge joint.16 comes out of the body member at which timethe uppersection of the rod may tilt over, and the parts I are soarranged and adapted that such tilting is limited to allow the uppersection of the rod to swing no farther than, perpendicular to itsoriginal position. This is obtained by limiting upward movement of therod so that its hinge pin is spaced above the top of the head 11 only adistance equal to the radius of the rod. Preferably, the upper end ofthe head slopes inwardly toward the central recess for the rod so thatby drawing the rod downward again the upper section is swungbackto'vertical or almed position.

In order to positively throw the upper section of the 'rod out ofalinement with the lower section so that gravity will tilt-it down, Ihave shown a wire leaf sprin 30 arranged within avertical groove 31 othe lower section and held by means of a screw 32 at its lower end. Theupper end of said spring'is adapted to bear against a lip 33 on thelower end of the upper sectlon o the rod when thesections are inalinement', and

' arrow points in the directionit is desired to have the rod'tilt, andthen the knob and rod and. its attached parts are raised at v a whichtime the'upper section of the rod tilts over as shown in Fig. 4. I

My suitable device .may be employed upon the signal arm or upper sectionof the knuckle member 15, but as shown, I prefer a flag 35 comprising astafi' 36 held in a socket37 in the free end of the upper section of therod 15 and carrying at-its outer end 'a suitable pennant 38. An electriclight 39 is arranged at the end of the staff 36, the staif itselfpreferabl being of metal and forming one of the lea s to the light andthe other lead being a wire 40.upon which the pennant 38 maybe strung ifdesired. The wire 40 runs'direct to a battery or other source ofelectric energy, not shown, and the other wire from said sourceisattached to the ring 21 adjacent the rod. Obviously, when the knob israised so that the signal arm is allowed to swing, the ring 21 makeselectric contact with the sleeve 13 thereby completing the circuit andilluminating the light 39. After the indicated operation of the vehi'clehas been performed the knob is drawn down upon and slid to its lowestposition which thereby swings the indicating arm into vertical positionagain and breaks the electrical connection so that the light is nolonger lighted.

Although I have shown my improved signal attachedto the windshield of anautomobile, it will be readily appreciated that it may be supportedotherwise, and may in fact be applied to any other ,uses than uponautomobiles to which it may be found adapted.

Obviously detail modifications and changes -may be made in manufacturing-my improved signal without departing from the spirit. and scope of theinvention, and I do not Wish to be understood as restricting myselfexcept as required b the followin claims when construed in t e light ofthe prior art.

Having thus described the invention what I- cla1m isso as to belongitudinally fast sired, and means for rotating said member wherebythe said tilting section may be tilted in the desired direction.

2. In a signal, a member having sections one of which is adapted toextend in alinement with the other or be tilted with respect thereto asdesired, and means for rotating said members so that the tilting sectionmay be tilted in different directions.

3. In a signal, a rotatable body member, a knuckle member with alinedsections slidable therein and adapted to flex when slid in one directionand be swung back when slid in the other direction, means for rotatingsaid body member by rotating the knuckle member, and a handle on theknuckle member for sliding and rotating it.

4. In a signal, a body member providing a slideway, a knuckle member insaid slideway, and means for sliding said knuckle member so as to drawits joint into the slideway and hold the sections in alinement orproject said joint and allow flexing of the knuckle member.

5. In a signal, a body member providing a slideway, a knuckle member insaid slideway, means for sliding said knuckle member so as to projectits joint from the slideway and allow flexing or draw said joint intothe slideway and hold the sections in alinement, and means forautomatically and positively swingin the outer section of the knucklemember w en its joint is projected from the slideway.

6. In a signal, a body member providing a slideway, a knuckle member insaid slide: way, and means for sliding said knuckle member so as to drawits joint into the slideway and hold the sections in alinement orproject said joint and allow the projected section to tilt, the weightof the tilted knuckle member section holding the joint projected whenflexed.

In a signal, a body member providing a slideway, a knuckle member insaid slideway, and means for sliding said knuckle member so as to drawits joint into the slide- I way and hold the sections in alinement orproject said joint and allow the projected section to swing, the weightof the knuckle member holding its when slid thereinto.

8. In a signal, a body member providing joint in the slideway aslideway, a knuckle member adapted to lie with its joint in saidslideway and its sections extending in alinement, and means for slidinsaid knuckle member with re spect to t e slideway to project its jointtherefrom and allow one of the sections to tilt.

9. In a signal, a body member providing a slideway, a knuckle member insaid slideway, and means for sliding said knuckle member so as toproject its joint and allow the projected sect1on to swing or to drawits joint into the slideway and hold the sections in alinement, saidknuckle member and body member having a cooperating slot and pin todetermine their mutual relation.

10. A vehicle signal comprising a-transverse support, a body memberdepending through said support and adapted to be rotated therein, aknuckle member slidable in said body member providing an upper sectionadapted to tilt when raised, means for raising the said upper section,and means for indicating in which'direction the section will tilt. Y

11. In a signal, a body member having a hollow body portion and alongitudinal s ot, a sectional signal member both sections of which areslidable in said body portion, one section adapted to he slid out ofsaid body portion and tilt with respect thereto, and a pin adapted toproject into said slot whereby the signal member may be slid w thoutrotating with respect to the body portion.

12. In a signal, a body member hav ng a hollow body portion, a sectionaler a1 member both sections of which are slidable in said body portion,one section adapted to be slid out of said body portion and tilt withrespect thereto, and a spring adapted to tilt said section when out ofthe body portion.

13. In a signal, a support, meansfor attaching said support in uprightposition to a vehicle, a knuckle member slidable longitudinally in saidsupport and having a section adapted to be slid out of the top of saidsupport, and a sprin for actuatlng the upper section out of a mementwith the other section, whereby it Wlll t1lt over by gravity when slidout of said support.

HENRY ROHRDANTZ.

